Images_Digital_Edition_March_2020

www.images-magazine.com 48 images MARCH 2020 A ppliqué embroidery refers to the technique by which pieces of fabric are sewn onto a larger garment or textile to form a picture or pattern. Embroidery specialist and marketing executive Rae Hollis says the team at Essential Embroidery Design and Print love using this technique as it allows them to create a tactile and 3D effect on garments without the need to use a high-stitch count. "Although we have to pause the embroidery run in order to place the pre-cut template onto the garment, we believe that this is worth the time as the end product comes out looking sharp and stylish," she explains. The technique also enables them to create big logos without generating a heavy, threaded design. "For our Crufts Bailey Hoodie we chose the College Hoodie (JH001) from Just Hoods by AWDis," says Rae. "This high-quality garment is the perfect material to apply appliqué embroidery due to the heavyweight, soft-feel fabric and the range of colours available. " In order to create pre-cut appliqué shapes, the team used a modern Proel laser cutter to ensure that the shape fitted exactly onto the stitched template on the garment. "This means that everything in the design process must be digitised so that the tack-down stitch can perfectly hold the pre-cut shape in place. We then used Barudan embroidery machines to finish off the embroidered design and fill in the gaps to bring the final design together." Ahead of the pack To ensure that the appliqué embroidery technique works perfectly, the digitising process has to be carried out to an extremely high standard, advises Rae. "If this is not done properly, the pre-cut shape may not line up with the outline on the garment, which will make the design look messy and unprofessional. It is also the job of our embroidery specialists to ensure that when they place the pre-cut shape onto the embroidered outline it is positioned perfectly. At Essential, we have a dedicated team that prepares and supervises our embroidery machines, and another team to quality-check all products before they are distributed." The inspiration for offering Essential's customers the option to use appliqué embroidery with their designs comes from major retail brands, which also apply this method to many of their products, Rae reports. "We are also competing with other companies within the branding sector and by offering appliqué embroidery we give our customers the opportunity to use even bigger logos." www.eed-uk.com Rae Hollis of Essential Embroidery Design and Print explains how to appliqué patches onto hoodies with a design created for Crufts, the well-known annual dog show Best in show